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PORTLAND, Ore. — Perrine Delacour held onto the Portland Traditional lead Friday with one other bogey-free spherical at Columbia Edgewater, capturing a 5-under 67 in good circumstances a day after opening with a 63 within the rain.
“You needed to modify for the pins, particularly on the wedges,” Delacour stated. “Nevertheless it was positively nicer. I imply, though the bag remains to be moist from yesterday, but it surely was positively nicer to be in shorts and polos as an alternative of rain gear.”
Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 29-year-old Frenchwoman took a one-stroke lead over Linn Grant into the weekend on the tree-lined format simply south of the Columbia River.
“I simply stored affected person,” Delacour stated. “I imply, in fact, coming from a frontrunner on the primary day, capturing 9 beneath, you recognize you are not going to shoot twice 9 beneath.”
Delacour has 5 top-10s in 11 seasons on the LPGA Tour, along with her profession greatest a third-place end within the 2020 Ladies’s Australian Open.
“I am the form of individual to overthink,” Delacour stated. “So, the purpose is I’ll do some stuff to maintain my head busy and never fascinated by golf.”
Grant, the 24-year-old Swede who received the Dana Open in July in Ohio for her first LPGA Tour title, adopted a gap 65 with a 66 to get to 13 beneath.
“Clearly, nicer to play at present when the solar is out,” stated Grant, the previous Arizona State star set to characterize Europe within the Solheim Cup. “I feel yesterday, attending to shoot like a minus-7 was an enormous benefit. It is not at all times very straightforward when it rains. I simply tried to essentially take that benefit and proceed that for at present.”
Megan Khang, coming off her first tour victory Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia, was 12 beneath after her second 66.
“Simply attempting to capitalize on some softer greens whilst you can,” stated Khang, who had an eagle for the second day in a row. “I do know it is going to warmth up come the weekend, so actually simply attempting to set a very good tempo and attempting to maintain it going.”
The U.S. Solheim Cup participant received at Shaughnessy, one other tree-lined gem designed by Columbia Edgewater architect A.V. Macan.
“It has been form of like a protracted week it appears like,” Khang stated. “However total I feel I’ve form of simply come to this week form of going, `Hey, recreation is in a very good place.′ Mentally just a little drained, however generally that may be a very good factor.”
Monday qualifier Chanettee Wannasaen (66) was 10 beneath with Ally Ewing (65), Elizabeth Szokol (66), Charley Hull (67), Ruoning Yin (64), Madelene Sagstrom (67) and Gina Kim (70).
The 19-year-old Wannasaen has missed 9 straight cuts in LPGA Tour play. She misplaced a playoff to Yue Ren final week in Idaho within the Epson Tour’s Circling Raven Championship.
Columbia Edgewater member Caroline Inglis was 8 beneath after a 66. The previous College of Oregon participant lives throughout the river in Vancouver, Washington.
“It is at all times enjoyable coming again right here and having all my family and friends watching,” Inglis stated. “This yr is form of bizarre as a result of the course is taking part in prefer it does in like January as a result of it is so moist.”
Second-ranked Nelly Korda additionally was 8 beneath after a 71.
Defending champion Andrea Lee and two-time winner Brooke Henderson have been within the group at 7 beneath. Lee had a 71, and Henderson shot 68.
Prime-ranked Lilia Vu had a 69 to get to 4 beneath. She tied for third final yr.
Lexi Thompson missed the lower by a stroke, capturing 72-69. She’s exterior the highest 150 within the Race to CME Globe and isn’t more likely to hold her full LPGA card for subsequent yr at this charge.
Oregon State participant Kyra Ly dropped out with rounds of 74 and 71.
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